Daily Links Jul 26

‘Get ready for mass job losses’ if gas prices rise [$]
Forecasts of higher east coast gas prices even with LNG import terminals have alarmed industrial gas users, who say gas is no use unless it’s affordable.
https://www.afr.com/business/energy/gas/get-ready-for-mass-job-losses-if-gas-prices-rise-buyers-20180725-h13451

The energy guarantee explained [$]
The NEG has wide support among power suppliers and customers because it will put a mechanism in place. A future government can bring in a more realistic emissions target.
https://www.afr.com/news/relax-the-neg-wont-stop-the-unstoppable-march-of-renewable-energy-20180724-h133uc

NEG: Commonwealth paper shows Coalition not budging on emissions
New Commonwealth document shows Coalition has not moved on emissions for National Energy Guarantee, and the use of offsets in such a weak target will mean retailers will not have to make any new investments in wind or solar.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/neg-commonwealth-paper-shows-coalition-not-budging-on-emissions-10082/

Labor move to kill off Turnbull’s energy deal [$]
Labor has condemned Malcolm Turnbull’s national energy guarantee, declaring it will ­stifle investment in renewables.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/federal-labor-blasts-pathetic-neg-targets/news-story/d1a2511f394009d6af8f122dfebf4e32

Carbon emission carrot in NEG [$]
The Turnbull government has made a concession to wavering states concerned at locking in what they see as an insufficient target.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/neg-olive-branch-carbon-emissions-cut-review/news-story/c8b0c160ef6230170458e6c7716911ec

Government’s energy plan would guarantee a ‘nightmare’ of complexity
The Turnbull government’s National Energy Guarantee is “terrifically complex”, and its problems will become “more significant” if its emissions reduction goal is increased, according to the first report by the Victorian government’s new energy policy hub.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/climate-change/government-s-energy-plan-would-guarantee-a-nightmare-of-complexity-20180725-p4ztlo.html

Relief in sight as data shows power bills may have peaked
Long-suffering consumers will start to get relief from high power bills as electricity prices start to fall, but the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the savings are not uniform across the country.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/abs-data-shows-power-bills-may-have-peaked-20180725-p4ztk3.html

Government’s electricity plan caps offsets, offers review by 2024
The Turnbull government is sticking to plans to lock in its signature energy policy for a decade and would cap access to offsets to meet emissions obligations.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/climate-change/government-s-electricity-plan-caps-offsets-offers-review-by-2024-20180725-p4ztg7.html

Children a path to parents’ hearts … and bins
The recycling crisis may see the nation’s adults grappling with washing out the milk carton before throwing it in the recycling bin, but perhaps our children can show us the way thanks to an innovative program targeting classrooms.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-26/recycling-taught-to-primary-school-children/10025686

Going plastic-free in the meat and food industry
With the food and grocery industry slow to adapt, innovative farmers and producers are coming up with their own solutions to phase out single-use plastic.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-07-26/farmers-find-their-own-ways-to-go-plastic-free/10033036

EV vs ICE: The cost gap that is holding Australia back
A new report issued by RACQ has revealed telling figures that could be holding back the adoption of EVs in Australia.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/ev-vs-ice-the-cost-gap-that-is-holding-australia-back-99666/

Truce in sight on climate wars but what price peace for the PM?
Mark Kenny
Malcolm Turnbull is inching cautiously towards a climate-energy package the states can back, but risks creating further tensions within his divided party room.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/truce-in-sight-on-climate-wars-but-what-price-peace-for-the-pm-20180725-p4ztj3.html

ESB paper: Strange, sloppy results suggest agenda at work
David Leitch
Sometimes assumptions in official documents are questionable and so too are the conclusions. In this latest document from the Energy Security Board – the “final decision” paper on the National Energy Guarantee -there is a big emphasis on price outcomes.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/esb-paper-strange-sloppy-results-suggest-agenda-at-work-29759/

Victorian council joins South Australian concerns over oil drilling in Great Australian Bight [$]
A Victorian coastal council has become the first outside South Australia to pass a motion expressing concerns about oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/victorian-council-joins-south-australian-concerns-over-oil-drilling-in-great-australian-bight/news-story/b5f1dce268e7d4e30be3bf7e7f141ad8

Healthy Rivers, Healthy Communities meeting to raise concerns over Murray-Darling Basin
A conservation group planning to raise concerns about water management in the Murray-Darling Basin will hold its first meeting in Mildura tonight.
http://www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/story/5548139/healthy-rivers-healthy-communities-meeting-to-raise-concerns-over-murray-darling-basin/

Victoria to meet 40% renewables target five years early
Victoria expected to reach 40% renewables five years earlier than targeted, South Australia could tip 85% by 2030, while NSW will trail other states and have less than 20% renewables by 2020.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/victoria-to-meet-40-renewables-target-five-years-early-90487/

Sydney on top for liveability, but falling behind on public transport
Sydney is the most liveable capital city in Australia, a new report has found, but is falling well short of meeting public transport expectations.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-on-top-for-liveability-but-falling-behind-on-public-transport-20180724-p4ztaq.html

Koala group to take Queensland government to court over ‘politically sanctioned extinction’
The conservation group Australians for Animals plans to take the Palaszczuk government to court for not protecting koalas.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/conservation/koala-group-to-take-queensland-government-to-court-for-politically-sanctioned-extinction-20180725-p4ztm5.html

Council uses baby bats as bait to lure flying fox colony out of CBD
A city with an urban bat problem hopes to lure a large flying fox colony from the CBD to nearby swampland by appealing to the animals’ maternal instincts.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-26/using-baby-bats-as-bait-to-lure-colony-away-from-cbd/10032864

Great Barrier Reef reveals rapid changes of ancient glaciers
New analysis of the first Great Barrier Reef samples covering the time 22,000 years ago to 19,000 years ago finally adds detail to the poorly understood Last Glacial Maximum (27,000 to 20,000 years ago), providing valuable insights for models of climate and ice sheet dynamics.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/uot-gbr072218.php

The 2016 Great Barrier Reef heatwave caused widespread changes to fish populations
Rick Stuart-Smith et al
The 2016 marine heatwave that killed vast amounts of coral on the Great Barrier Reef also caused significant changes to fishes and other animals that live on these reefs.
https://theconversation.com/the-2016-great-barrier-reef-heatwave-caused-widespread-changes-to-fish-populations-100455

The big koala extinction cover-up
Sue Arnold
Queensland koalas have been translocated under the guise of “scientific purposes” without any evidence of resultant scientific studies.
https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/the-big-koala-extinction-cover-up,11723

Power station closure added $250 to our bills [$]
The closure of the Northern Power Station added up to $250 to South Australian electricity bills last year, new modelling has revealed.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/closure-of-alintas-northern-power-station-added-up-to-250-to-last-years-power-bills/news-story/cb074d51224c0dc52653d61e9780a4cd

‘Neighbour against neighbour, family against family’: The woodchip plan splitting a town
A contentious plan for a woodchip mill in a tiny Tasmanian town risks turning an upcoming local council election into a “single-issue” event, with a former councillor warning the debate is pitting “neighbour against neighbour, family against family members”.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-25/dover-woodchip-proposal-a-risk-to-huonville-council-election/10031538

Batteries charge $516 million investment in WA lithium mine
Another sign of confidence in the rising demand around the world for electric vehicles and consumer electronics powered by lithium ion batteries has emerged, with a hefty $516 million expansion of the Greenbushes lithium operation in Western Australia announced on Wednesday.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/companies/batteries-charge-516-million-investment-in-wa-lithium-mine-20180725-p4ztj7.html

Pilbara construction boom begins as sod turned on $4.9b South Flank
Construction is officially under way on BHP’s $4.9 billion South Flank mine, marking the start of a new wave of construction projects in the Pilbara.
https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/pilbara-construction-boom-begins-as-sod-turned-on-4-9b-south-flank-20180725-p4ztkw.html

Why do dingoes attack people, and how can we prevent it?
Bill Bateman and Trish Fleming
An attack on a WA mine worker has highlighted the danger of wild dingoes, particularly when attracted by humans’ food – one of the factors that can make an attack by wild predators much more likely.
https://theconversation.com/why-do-dingoes-attack-people-and-how-can-we-prevent-it-100515

‘Worst possible form of child labour’ to mine cobalt for phone batteries
The world relies on cobalt to power its mobile phones, unaware that children help mine it under abysmal conditions. Demand has doubled in the past year, so is there a fair way to get it?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-25/cobalt-child-labour-smartphone-batteries-congo/10031330

Gene-edited plants and animals are GM foods, EU court rules
Landmark decision means gene-edited plants and animals will be regulated under the same rules as genetically modified organisms
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/25/gene-editing-is-gm-europes-highest-court-rules

India fights pollution staining Taj Mahal
Pollution is staining the Taj Mahal yellow and green, prompting a push to clean up the area around the 17th-century monument.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/india-fights-pollution-staining-taj-mahal/news-story/3b6a0a017e563f764a81cb17559323b3

Researchers upgrade organic solar cells to be used in roof tiles generating power
An international team of materials scientists from France, Russia and Kazakhstan found a way to boost the efficiency of organic solar cells several times.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/miop-ruo072518.php

Soil bugs munch on plastics
Thin mulch films made of polyethylene are used in agriculture in numerous countries, where they cause extensive soil contamination. Researchers at ETH Zurich and Eawag have now identified an alternative: films made of the polymer PBAT biodegrade in soils.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/ez-sbm072418.php

The area around Rocky Flats nuclear plant may soon open to the public — and some say that’s a disaster in the making
As the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge gets ready to open to the public, a collection of citizens, scientists and activists are fighting to keep it shut.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-rocky-flats-20180724-story.html

Nuclear wasteland is home to world’s unlikeliest green energy experiment
A solar park is now operating at Chernobyl. Could it give new life to the place whose name is synonymous with catastrophe?
https://www.positive.news/2018/environment/33949/nuclear-wasteland-is-home-to-worlds-unlikeliest-green-energy-experiment/

A new catalyst for water splitting that is the best of both worlds
Taking water and ripping it apart into hydrogen and oxygen could form the basis of artificial photosynthetic devices that could ultimately power homes and businesses. However, catalysts, including those used to ‘split’ water, have either worked well but are expensive and unstable, or are affordable and stable, but don’t work as well. Now, researchers report in ACS Central Science a new catalyst that is really the best of both worlds.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/acs-anc072018.php

Plastic pollution crowds out life, says engineer who traces ocean trash to its source
The engineer views a landfill as a living ecosystem, and the plastic that clogs it as a serious threat that crowds out life and never goes away. Can we eliminate the waste before it smothers us?
https://www.npr.org/2018/07/24/627505327/meet-the-woman-who-put-plastic-waste-on-the-map

Laos dam break and the country’s hydroelectric dreams
The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy Dam in Laos has burst due to heavy rain. Opponents of Laos’s plans to become the “battery of Asia” have warned of catastrophe for years.
https://www.dw.com/en/laos-dam-break-and-the-countrys-hydroelectric-dreams/g-44810513

Giant ‘pac-man’ system could gobble up plastic from Pacific Ocean
The gigantic ‘pac man’ system consists of a 600-meter-long floater that sits at the surface of the water, with a tapered 3-meter-deep skirt attached below to catch plastic waste.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5984077/The-giant-pac-man-gobble-plastic-ocean.html

5 ways to keep cities cooler during heat waves
Heat waves are America’s deadliest natural disaster. Here are some strategies that cities around the world are pursuing to try to beat the heat.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/24/climate/heat-waves-cities.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront

Why does my phone battery die so fast?
Steve W. Martin
Emptying and refilling a battery is a lot like pouring water from one glass to another, over and over again.
https://theconversation.com/why-does-my-phone-battery-die-so-fast-98367

How to keep smart cities safe [$]
Tony Gaunt.
Smart cities promise to make us safer, but only new approaches to security and privacy will enable their potential.
https://www.afr.com/leadership/entrepreneur/how-to-keep-smart-cities-safe-20180725-h133zs

It’s impossible to lead a totally ethical life—but it’s fun to try
Ephrat Livni
You want to do the right thing. But in a world where it often seems impossible to eat, shop, drive, travel, or pretty much do anything without causing some measure of harm to others and the planet, leading an ethical life seems like a very tall order indeed.
https://qz.com/1327804/its-impossible-to-lead-a-totally-ethical-life-but-its-fun-to-try/

How to reduce slavery in seafood supply chains
Trevor J Ward
The seafood industry is a major contributor to modern slavery.
https://theconversation.com/how-to-reduce-slavery-in-seafood-supply-chains-100512

Tropical forests may soon hinder, not help, climate change effort
Forests in tropical regions could soon become a source of greenhouse gases, contributing to global warming and hampering efforts to meet the main goal in the Paris Agreement of 2015.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/uoe-tfm072418.php

Seabirds are pooping out plastic
A recent investigation shows seabirds may be transporting ocean microplastics to land.
https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/seabirds-are-pooping-out-plastic/

Fish will start losing sense of smell as carbon dioxide levels rise, study finds
Rising carbon dioxide levels will impair the animals’ ability to sense odors, change their behavior and alter gene expression, the study showed.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/24/science/fish-smell-co2.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront

Losing coral reefs will cost us more money
Coral reefs are extremely important ecosystems.
https://oceanbites.org/saving-coral-reefs-will-help-us-save-money/

Pesticide ban is failing to protect suburban bee populations
Neonicotinoid chemicals used as chemicals came under European Union restrictions five years ago – but our cities’ bees are still being bombarded.
https://theecologist.org/2018/jul/25/pesticide-ban-failing-protect-suburban-bee-populations

Temer’s deforestation policies put Paris goals at risk, scientists warn
Current Brazilian government policies could increase deforestation and carbon emissions, costing the nation $2-5 trillion dollars more to meet its Paris Climate Agreement pledge.
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/temers-deforestation-policies-put-paris-goals-at-risk-scientists-warn/